Kansas State's first home victory over a top-10 opponent in almost four years may have gone a long way toward answering the question of whether Frank Martin can coach.

Sensational freshman Michael Beasley was in early foul trouble against Texas A&M (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today, No. 10 AP) on Saturday, and the first impulse of the Wildcats' rookie boss was to bench him for the rest of the first half.

Instead, he subbed the 6-foot-10 phenom in and out expertly, depending on whether Kansas State was on offense or defense, and Beasley finished with 21 points in a 75-54 victory in front of a roaring sellout crowd.

"He's a smart man," said Beasley, who had nine points in 9 minutes in the first half. "I didn't need any more fouls. I picked up two stupid fouls, and the way he was playing me in and out, I didn't want to get any more fouls but I didn't want to sit there and get stiff so I wouldn't be helping in the second half. I thought that was a really smart move by Coach Martin."